w w w . v o y a g e s a f r i q . c o m ISSUE 006 March 2019 Edition | March-May 2019 Travel and Tourism Magazine The Congo to host Regional Tourism Training institute Soweto Gospel Choir wins Grammy Personality Profile Award - Sherin Francis @VoyagesAfriq March 2019 Travel and Tourism Magazine Editorial Team Ben Ohene-Ayeh Consulting Editor EditoriaDeveloping effective l Kojo Bentum-Williams Managing Editor crisis communication Emmanuel Agyei strategies for African destinations Assistant Editor s the number of disasters A case in point is the infamous and crises affecting the terror attack by Al-Shabab on a Samuel Obeng Appah Content Editor tourism industry rises, an hotel and work complex in Kenya’s understandingA of the nature of capital of Nairobi earlier this year. these disasters and how to control Unfortunate as the incident was, the Contributing Writers communication and information Pamela Amia Winnie and limit their impacts has also Judy Kepher-Gona become crucial. flow was highly professional as the Dominick Andoh institutions ensured that all relevant Sandra Carvao Communication as an inevitable facts were gathered before going Prof Wolfgang Thome tool in our everyday lives also plays public by way of speaking to the Marian Ansah a major role in business and events. media. This averted what could have Angela Dzidzornu It has become so essential that been communication gaffes that one ignores it at one’s own peril. usually follow such incidents with Administration/Marketing Destinations around the world thus the ultimate effect being a nosedive Jennifer Nyavor institute communication plans to impact on the country’s visitor Glaou Eddie Fortune address issues that affect them. The numbers and tourism receipts. Symphorien Kouabile tourism industry as a whole depends Michel Kouassi heavily on communication to drive Destinations need to prepare and Photo Credit and manage the destinations. strategize for the worse by way UNWTO of crisis communications plan Most developed nations have crisis Julia Robles for addressing any unforeseen Congo Ministry of Tourism & communication plans and protocols incidents. Capacity building for front Environment that they rely on to avert or manage line officers and managers should be Alex Tackie impending negative situations. Most encouraged to adequately prepare Prince Charles Affum African destinations however, are yet them for any eventuality. It is in Michel Kouadio Kouassi to incorporate crisis communication this regard that we at VoyagesAfriq Ken Amoah management in their strategies Travel Magazine align with the World to shape perceptions about their Tourism Organization’s (UNWTO) Design and Layout countries. In the tourism delivery adoption of ‘Fostering Resilience NY Conceptz chain, it is almost crucial to have and Crisis Communication’ as part of back up plans for addressing issues the 10 points agenda for Africa. Crisis Publisher that threaten the sustainability communications courses have been and the smooth operations of a Voyages Afriq held for countries and the officers Media Ltd. destination. VOYAGESAFRIQ 3 @VoyagesAfriq of the African members of UNWTO. In in mind what prospective visitors negative impact on travel and June last year the organization, held might make of the information put tourism in Africa was nothing short of a crisis communications program out. Crisis communication is very massive. For us at VoyagesAfriq Travel for Madagascar aimed at decreasing critical in ensuring that, negative Magazine, we believe developing the impact of negative events in the travel advisories aren’t always the crisis communication tools includes country such as natural disasters, case whenever unfortunate incident bringing all stakeholders together and pandemics and security-related occurs. providing them with key, adequate issues among others. and relevant information while Destinations in Africa have been soliciting their inputs in addressing African countries ought to be adversely affected in visitor numbers the challenge. Those in charge of prepared to efficiently meet the high somewhat because of the absence destinations also need to come demanding job of managing crisis at of effective communication crisis to the understanding that tourism destinations. Being proactive during strategies. A case in point was the thrives on the amount of information crisis means authorities should not outbreak of the Ebola disease in available to the tourists as much as it shy away from explaining the truth some parts of the continent a few does for the product and service on and speaking to the media about the years ago. Even when the disease was offer, and that is for us, the essence of development. Whenever crisis hit, absent in most of the countries on crisis communications especially in a much is expected of managers and the continent , advisories created the world where no one can predict what front liners to make available, much impression that the entire continent happens tomorrow. information as possible, bearing was riddled with the disease. The Correspondence: Copyright subsists in all published in this magazine. Any reproduction or adaptation, in Voyages Afriq Travel Magazine whole or in part, without written permission of the publishers is strictly prohibited and is Office Location an act of copyright infringement which may in certain circumstances, constitute a criminal Accra Tourist Information Centre offence. The paper used for this production is a recyclable and renewable product. It has Off Liberation Road, Accra – Ghana been produced using wood sourced from sustainably managed forests and elemental or Ghana Office line: +233 30 397 2764 total chlorine free bleached pulp. [email protected] UK Office line: +44 744 849 4933 France Office VoyagesAfriq VoyagesAfriq VoyagesAfriq VoyagesAfriq 6 Impasse Robert Labarre 49300 Cholet - France Copyright NMC No. +33 753 082 350 Voyages Afriq Media Ltd. NMC/C.I39/17/3036 e : [email protected] . w : www. voyagesafriq.com 4 VOYAGESAFRIQ @VoyagesAfriq @VoyagesAfriq In this Issue 09 25 27 Air Senegal’s first A330neo arrives in Dakar ahead of schedule Editorial: Developing effective crisis communications 29 strategies for African destinations 03 Over 20 Airlines confirms participation at AviaDevKenya The Congo to host Regional Tourism Training institute 34 12 08 AWA & SAA sign MoU to promote 35 seamless travel Jayne Kiraguappointed lodge manager at Sarova’s Spirit of 30 12 Masai Mara Qatar Airways touches down in Mombasa / RwandAir to launch Addis Ababa flights Kilaguni Serena Safari Lodge launches solar power plant 36 in April 14 African countries are becoming open to 13 each other Meliá Hotels International to open 5-star property in 38 Tanzania 39 15 New start for Sierra Leone Tourism / SA Tourism CEO joins UNWTO Advisory Ghana’s President cut sod for Accra Pullman’s Hotel 40 Board 19 Kenya grows tourism earnings by 31% / Chinese Group, TTB ink deal on Tourism CapeMay properties unveils 209 signature Apartments 45 20 42 32 16 Indian Ocean Island of Comoros enacts tourism law / Rwanda’s Greg Bakunziink Hilton Monrovia to open 2023 in Liberia’s Capital 46 receives UNWTO award for sustainable 21 tourism 2018 - International Tourist Arrivals reach First Hyatt Regency Hotel opens in Ethiopia / Meetings 1.4 billion, two years ahead of forecasts, 43 Incentive Conference Exhibitions (MICE) 44 23 47 Africa among the growth leaders Integrating SMEs in Tourism Creates Diverse & Authentic Guest ZTA gets Acting Chief Executive as Experiences, while Giving Destinations unique Identities Kaseke bows out / Namibia named Top 24 48 Country at Wanderlust Reader Travel Awards 2019, SA is in Top 10 52 56 Seychelles collaborate with UNWTO to strengthen Tourism Seychelles assumes presidency of Statistical System ‘Vanilla Islands,’ seeks to improve 27 49 tourism earnings Ethiopian Airlines secures 49% in Ghana home-based carrier Zambia's cabinet approves plan for 28 50 Tourism Development / Soweto Gospel 60 60 19 Choir wins 3rd Grammy Award 6 VOYAGESAFRIQ VOYAGESAFRIQ 7 @VoyagesAfriq @VoyagesAfriq 10th Anniversary of INVESTOUR highlights on Safe & Seamless Travel, Resilience,Digital Transformation and Innovation ore than 20 tourism African entities with tourism projects and diversification through niche ministers from various and potential international partners. tourism products. African countries attended Mthe 10th anniversary edition of This special anniversary edition had As a new feature of the event, the INVESTOUR, the Tourism Investment two (2) round table discussions on UNWTO during the anniversary and Business Forum for Africa. topical tourism issues and a session edition launched the Tourism of business-to-business meetings. Startup Competition for Africa which Organized jointly by the UN World Prominent among the topics is to identify and support emerging Tourism Organization (UNWTO), Casa discussed are safety and security companies expected to lead the África and FITUR as part of FITUR challenges and their impact on the transformation of the tourism sector International Tourism Fair, INVESTOUR development of the tourism sector, in the Africa region. The objective of promotes sustainable development as well as the issues of crime, health this initiative is to challenge young in Africa while facilitating meetings hazards, natural disasters, violence African entrepreneurs to contribute on investment and business and political instability, which positively to growing the travel and opportunities on the continent. The affects the image of